Somewhere Out There
by sage679
Summary: With Sonny and Chad broken up, is there any chance they could get back together? Sequel to Where Have All the Good People Gone.
1. Welcome to the Machine

**A/N**: I don't own Sonny with a Chance or any of it's characters.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the media, let me introduce C.D. Cooper," announced Max Geiger. Max was a world renowned agent. He helped shape the careers of many famous rock stars. Now, he had his newest star in the making.

Chad walked out to the table and shook Max's hand. He came out wearing a dark suit, purple shirt unbuttoned at the top, and no tie. Chad sat down behind a microphone at the table ready to talk about his upcoming debut album.

"Let me give some information out first," Max said. "Number one, the debut single will be dropping next week, so be on the lookout for it. Number two, the song 'Where Have All the Good People Gone' will not be on the new album. Number three, the album will be released June 17th. I think that takes care of the preliminary, C.D. will now take your questions."

"Andy Gomez, SPIN," the reporter introduced himself. "Why won't 'Where Have All the Good People Gone' be on the record? People have really liked that song."

"It's already out there," Chad responded. "I guess it was really only a one shot thing, but then it picked up steam and here we are. It's been selling nicely as a single on iTunes and getting good radio play. Plus, I don't want people to have to buy it twice. So I figured the new album could be completely fresh."

"Jay Salazar, Billboard," the next reporter said. "What can we expect from this new album? Is it still rock 'n roll or what?"

"It's still going to rock," Chad said. "Don't worry about that."

"Alex Christian, Blender," another reported said. "Any surprises on the new album?"

"I put a cover on there."

"Who?" Alex followed up. "What song?"

"It's Billy Joel's 'Just the Way You Are.'"

"Samantha Ryan, Global Rhythm." Samantha was a very attractive woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. She had long legs and full lips. She had been working for Global Rhythm for over twenty years. It was her first and only job. "What is the significance of the title _Wrong Turn into Yesterday_?"

"It's just about how I worked through some personal things over the last year. That's where a lot of the material comes from. I didn't think it would work out on the album, but when it all came together, it seemed perfect. Alright, let's get to the unveiling."

Workers brought over an easel with a giant piece of cardboard, covered with a sheet. It was set in a clear space, away from any microphones. Chad and Max stood on each side of it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Max said. "I give you, _Wrong Turn Into Yesterday_." With that he pulled the sheet down. The cover was simple: Chad's face with dark sunglasses on. You could barely make out his shoulders, which showed he was in a black suit, white shirt, and skinny black tie. Over his head said: Wrong Turn Into Yesterday. C.D. Cooper was on the bottom.

The cameras started to take pictures. Soon, Max stepped away so Chad could have his pictures taken by himself. After the press had enough pictures, Chad left the announcement hall and went back to Max's office.

Max's office was a collection of all the stars he had made. Gold records decorated the walls, along with posters of famous albums. His desk was small in the office, but there was a bar and a tremendous view of downtown Los Angeles behind him. Chad knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Max asked.

"Chad."

"Come on in, boy," Max responded and Chad walked in. "Have a cigar." Max always had a stash of Cubans that he brought back from his travels around the world. He pulled out two cigars, cut the ends off, lit his, and passed one to Chad. Chad let Max light his.

"This is going to be huge," Max said. "Your album, I can just feel it. I haven't felt on this big since The Kings went triple platinum."

"You really think it's that good?"

"They're gonna love you. So just relax and enjoy it. Next week, radio stations are going to be flooded with calls. We've got commercials lined up. There will be TV interviews, late night, none of that early morning stuff. There's no audience in that."

Max walked over to the bar while explaining the up coming schedule to Chad. He opened a bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass.

"You want some?" he asked Chad.

"No, no thank you." Chad leaned back in his chair and took a quick drag, held onto the smoke, and then blew it out. Max walked back to his desk and set his drink down. He stepped over to the window and looked out.

"Just imagine, Chad, all this will become your playground. Everyone will know your name, or at least the name we've given you."

"Why did you go with C.D. Cooper?"

"Because Chad Dylan Cooper is too tied with Mackenzie Falls. We needed to break away from that. C.D. Cooper shows you growing up. That's what we're looking for. We are breaking away from teen heartthrob to mature rock star."

Max turns around to face Chad.

"Soon, we're going to start planning a nationwide tour. There will be shows in all fifty states. Some shows you will headline others you will be opening. This way, we can get a lot of people to see you."

Max sits down at his desk and raises his glass.

"To you C.D., the next big star."

* * *

Chad pulled his car into the driveway of his house. A lot had changed in this house in the past two years. His former girlfriend, Sonny Monroe, had moved onto another man. His former best friend, Tawni Hart had become his girlfriend. They had just moved in together last week.

Tawni had been responsible for Chad's shift in career. While his acting was going nowhere, Tawni convinced him to rework the duet he had written into a solo song. That had worked out wonderfully. Now, Chad had a new career, a bright career in front of him.

He hadn't seen much of Tawni recently; working on the album was a full time job. When he got home she was usually asleep. He hoped that she was awake now, but it wasn't likely.

Chad opened up the door and found Tawni sleeping on the couch, covered in blanket. Chad smiled when he saw her. He closed the door behind him and walked over. He brushed some of her blonde hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. Tawni whimpered and rolled over.

Chad was not going to just quit. Instead, he had a new plan of attack. He kissed her lips and slowly moved down her neck. Tawni began to moan slightly. Chad knew he had her and the hollow part of her neck, right above the collar bone. Tawni eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, Chad," Tawni said, smiling. "How did everything go?"

"Great," Chad replied, smiling himself. "Couldn't have been better."

"So, now that there's a release date, can you tell me anything about it?"

"There's a surprise on it, but you'll have to wait."

"I thought being a rock star's girlfriend would give me inside access."

"But you do have access," he said, pulling Tawni up and kissing her. "Access to me."

Chad again began to work on her neck, kissing and sucking. He moved with a slow pace. His hands rested on her hips. Tawni leaned her head back, giving Chad more entrance to her neck.

"This is the kind of access I like," Tawni replied. She pulled Chad's heat up and kissed him, sucking on his lower lip. "Although, I would like a little more." She slid her hands under his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt.

While Tawni was working on that, Chad went back to kissing Tawni. He slid his tongue into her mouth. Together, they fought for control. When Tawni had finished, Chad pulled off his jacket and shirt. He pulled Tawni close to him. Tawni let her hands roam over Chad's chest. She began to kiss his chest.

"It's been awhile," Tawni said.

"Yes it has."

Tawni kissed down to his stomach. She loosed his belt buckle and slid her tongue into his bellybutton. Chad slid his hand down Tawni's back and underneath her sweatpants. Tawni pulled Chad's zipper down. She licked the tip of Chad's dick. When she placed it into her mouth, Chad slid his fingers inside of Tawni's pussy. Every lick and suck was matched with stroke and thrust. Both of them moaned at the pleasure they were giving each other.

"Let me return the favor," Chad said, lifting Tawni up and laying her on the couch. He pulled her sweatpants down and threw them away. He slid his hand down her stomach and around her hips. He moved his hands up her legs, lightly dragging across her thighs.

Tawni twitched a little from the light touch. Chad pushed her panties away and dragged a finger up her pussy and pressed hard over her clit. Tawni groaned at that. Chad smiled at that. Then, he licked her, hard. Hard and slow. The pressure felt great against Tawni's pussy, but she wanted it faster. Chad wasn't done teasing her though. After a few more licks, he centered on her clit.

Chad sucked her clit and then jabbed it with his tongue. Tawni was writing on the couch.

"Oh Chad," she moaned. "Just like, ohh, like that." Chad continued to tease her, never giving her enough to push her over the edge.

"Chad," she pleaded. "I can't take it anymore. I want you to fuck me."

Chad began pulled her shirt off and began to kiss up her. Slowly up her stomach. He licked each nipple and then up her neck to her lips. Tawni wrapped her arms around him and Chad did the same. He lifted her up off the couch. When he sat back down, Tawni was on top of him. Tawni wasted no time unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down.

"You're not the only one who can tease," Tawni said. She let her hand roam over Chad's dick, confined in his underwear. She teased him by tracing the outline of his penis with her tongue. She looked up to see the pleasure on Chad's face and smiled. With that, she pulled his underwear down.

Tawni straddled his lap and sat on his dick. It felt so good inside of her. Chad began to thrust into Tawni.

"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck," she moaned as Chad gave up moving things slow. He quickly moved in and out of her. "Don't stop, don't stop. Oh yes, that's it. Oh, I'm gonna cum. Don't stop."

Chad just worked harder with Tawni's moans. "Oh Chad," Tawni screamed as she came and came hard. Chad followed soon after her. Together they were worn out. Tawni sat up and looked at Chad in the eyes.

"I'm so glad you back," she said. "But I can't believe you'll have to leave soon."

"It won't be too long," he promised. "And then, I'll take a break, spend more time with you."

"I'd like that."

"But, hey, we've still got some time before the tour. How about we make time for each other now?"

Tawni smiled, "I'd love that."

"Great. Let's go out, like we used to."


	2. The Fame Monster

Sonny Monroe was trying to get to sleep. It didn't seem to matter what she did, nothing would work. Warm milk, exercise, herbal tea, none of it worked. So here she was, watching late night TV. There wasn't much on. Sports, infomercials, tabloid shows, she was interested in any of them. But she flicked around, looking for anything.

It didn't help that she was back on the road again, away from her own bed. This tour wasn't as demanding as her last one. But now, she had the opposite problem from the last tour. Instead of being overly tired, she couldn't sleep. It would come a few hours at a time. Sometimes, it would be days before she got a good night's sleep. Sonny knew that she needed to sleep, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"What is going on with C.D. Cooper?" a tabloid anchorman asked. Sonny paused on the station to see what was happening. "He was spotted at the Viper Room with his girlfriend, fashion designer Tawni Hart, when this happened."

The camera is backpedaling, so he can keep Chad in the shot. "C.D.! C.D.!" he shouted. "How was the club?"

"Fine," he replied, flashbulbs going off around him as another photographer came up.

"When does the new tour begin?"

"That hasn't been decided yet."

"Tawni," the other reporter said, grabbing her arm to pull her away to get a picture by herself.

"Hey," Tawni yelled at the reporter. Chad was livid when he saw it. He pushed the reporter away from Tawni and grabbed a camera and threw it on the ground, shattering it. Chad turned towards the camera man.

"Let's go," the reporter said and he and camera man fled.

"I guess we didn't know just what kind of temper C.D. Cooper really had," the anchorman said. Sonny flicked the channel.

"Tomorrow on the Late Night Show," the commercial advertised. "Leonardo DiCaprio, Lance Armstrong, and musical performance by C.D. Cooper."

"Can't sleep?" the man next to Sonny asked, as he rolled over.

"No," she replied, turning off the TV. "I don't know what it is Joshua. But for the past few days, I just can't fall asleep."

"I think I know what can help," Joshua said, getting out the bed and over to his suit case. He opened and began to rummage around until he found what he was looking for. It was an orange pill container.

"Here he said," he said, tossing the bottle to Sonny.

"What is this?" Sonny asked.

"Some sleeping pills. I got them last year when I had terrible bout of insomnia. They really did the trick."

"I don't know," Sonny said, apprehensively. Joshua got back into bed with her.

"There fine" Joshua said, trying to comfort Sonny. He rubbed her back and massaged her shoulders. "You need some sleep. We've got some big days coming up."

"You sure?" Sonny asked.

"Of course," he replied, pulling her close to him. "I used them and I turned out fine. Let me get you some water." Joshua went into the bathroom and got a plastic cup of water for Sonny. "Here."

Sonny took the cup and one of the sleeping pills. She swallowed it.

"Now just lay back and relax and in a few minutes you'll be sound asleep."

* * *

"What's going on, C.D.?" Max asked Chad, after he had called him into his office. "I'm not liking what I see in the press." He was pointing to tabloids with pictures of Chad getting into altercations with different paparazzi.

"They were getting my way," Chad tried to defend himself. "They wouldn't leave me alone and they were grabbing Tawni, trying to get pictures of her. What am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing," Max practically yelled back. "You can't push these guys around. Because if you don't play the game, then they will turn on you."

"You still didn't tell me what I am supposed to do."

"Just walk to your car, keep a low profile when you go out, or be prepared to have your pictures taken. "

"That's ridiculous," Chad argued. "Why should I have to live like that?"

"It's the way the game is played," Max explained. "Look, you need the paparazzi to take your pictures when you want. You need to be interviewed. You need to be seen. The downside is that they need pictures of you. They want you to react so they can sell magazines."

Max leaned back in his chair and Chad just sat there. Suddenly, an idea came to Max. He picked up a pen and wrote on a piece of paper. He tore the section off and gave it to Chad.

"What's this?" Chad asked.

"That's Samantha Ryan's phone number," Max said. "She works at Global Rhythm. She is a lot more sympathetic to our end of the deal."

"What can she do?" Chad said.

"It's another deal we can make. You give her an exclusive and she can help you manage the paparazzi and other unpleasantness. She's good at keeping the monster at bay."

"I don't know," Chad said.

"Just think about it. She can even out the downside of up, as we say."

* * *

Chad sat alone in his house. His cell phone was in his hand and Samantha's number was in the other. He wasn't sure that he could handle all the pressure that his new life would put in on. What harm could come of it? She could really help him out. Chad dialed the number.

"Hello," Samantha said, answering her phone after a few rings.

"Hello, Samantha Ryan, this is C.D. Cooper. Max Geiger gave me this phone number. He said you could help me in dealing with the paparazzi."

"For Max, yeah I can help you," Samantha replied. "You know my terms, right?"

"You get an exclusive interview with me."

"That's right."

"Okay, when do you want the interview?"

"Not right away. I want to make sure that you're still going to be a big star. That will make the interview better for me. Until then, I'll help you."

"So what's going to happen?"

"I'll come over and coach you on how to handle these things. Have you ever noticed how some celebrities never get caught up in this game? People like George Clooney?"

"Yeah."

"There's a reason."

"You worked with George Clooney?"

"No, but there are people, like myself, that know how to play the game and we get our benefits for helping you. Are you free tomorrow, say for lunch?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll meet you at Antonio's at 1:00."

"Thanks Samantha."

"Call me Sam. I'll see you tomorrow, C.D."

Chad hung the phone, thinking things were going to work out.


	3. Spite

Chad and Tawni were spending time in Guys and Dolls Lounge. It was more private than a lot of places they went to and Chad liked that. After his run in with the paparazzi, Chad worked to avoid them. He didn't want to get into more trouble.

Tawni excused herself to use the bathroom and Chad went up to the bar to order another drink. He got a beer for himself and a Cosmo for Tawni. As he was turning, someone bumped into him, causing him to spill the Cosmo.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay," Chad said, but was surprised when he saw who it was. "Sonny?"

"Chad?" Sonny asked. It was the first time they had seen each other since their break up. "Or should I say C.D.?"

"So you've heard."

"I think everyone has."

"You know, Sonny, I really didn't think that I would be here, doing this. But I am excited for this chance. I really think I have a chance to be great."

"What do you mean?" Sonny really didn't like that. After all, it was _her_ dream to be a singer-songwriter. Chad wanted to the greatest actor of their generation.

"I know, it's unexpected, but I really think this good be good for me."

"Good for you?"

"Yeah, it got me feeling good about myself after my acting didn't work out. I can't believe that re-working of our song worked so well."

"That was _our_ song?" Sonny questioned. She didn't know about and Chad never got the chance to show her before their breakup. "I can't believe you Chad."

"What? You weren't going to use it."

"But that was supposed to be _ours_."

"_We_ didn't work out, Sonny. Whose fault was that?"

"Is that why you did it, Chad? Out of spite?" Sonny was growing furious with Chad.

"I don't know what you talking about, Sonny."

"Of course you don't, Chad. You never did. It's always been about you. Even back on Mackenzie Falls. It was always about Chad Dylan Cooper."

Sonny turned to storm off.

"Wait a minute," Chad said, grabbing for her arm. He got her purse and pulled back. The strap of the purse broke and the contents of Sonny's purse scattered across the floor in all directions.

"Great," Sonny said, not happy with the way anything was going at the moment. She bent down to retrieve her personal items. She picked up her lipstick, makeup, keys, notepads, and other things.

"What's this?" Chad asked. In his hand, an orange prescription pill bottle. "Ambien? Why are taking this?"

"What do you care?" Sonny said, full of venom.

"I do care if you're taking pills."

"It's just a sleeping pill. I've been having insomnia for a while. I need it to sleep."

"No you don't, Sonny."

"Just leave me alone, Chad."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

They both turned away, but Sonny needed to get her Ambien back.

"Chad!" she called out. He turned around and saw Sonny standing there with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Yeah?"

"My Ambien." Sonny held out her hand, waiting for Chad to give them back to her.

"Here," he said, placing them in Sonny's hand. "Keep popping your pills."

That was the last straw. Sonny wasn't going to listen to Chad talk to her like that. She slapped in the face.

"How dare you?" Sonny stormed off after that. Tawni had just come back and saw Sonny slap Chad.

"What happened?" she asked, looking over Chad's face. His cheek had turned slightly red.

"She got mad because I yelled at her for taking pills," Chad explained.

"What?" Tawni was shocked. She turned and started to follow Sonny.

"Where are you going?" Chad asked.

"She's my friend. I want to help her."

* * *

"Hello," Sonny answered her phone. She was relaxing on her couch, glad to be home for a few nights. It was break in her tour and she was so happy for it. Finally, she'd have some time to be on her own. No fans, no media, no Joshua.

Not that she didn't like having Joshua around. He was a great boyfriend and promoter, but she just needed some alone time right now. Some time to curl up on a couch, watch a bad movie, and eat some ice cream, like she used to do before her career took off.

"It's Tawni," came the voice from the other end.

"Hi, Tawni," Sonny said smiling. Sonny liked talking to her old friends. It didn't happen enough anymore. Tawni was probably the last of her old friends she had semi-regular conversations with.

"Can I come over?" Tawni asked. "We need to talk."

"You sound serious," Sonny replied.

"I am."

"Okay, yeah, come over."

It about ten minutes Tawni was knocking on Sonny's door. Sonny answered it and let Tawni in. Sonny went back to the couch, but Tawni kept standing.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sonny asked.

"I want to talk about what happened at Guys and Dolls tonight," Tawni answered.

"Oh," Sonny said. She didn't want to talk about what happened. Tawni could sense that, but she was going to press on.

"I saw you slap Chad," Tawni began. She let that hang in the air, waiting for Sonny to explain herself. It seemed like forever before Sonny finally spoke.

"He was being such a jerk," Sonny answered.

"A jerk?"

"He basically called me a drug addict."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he found some Ambien in my purse."

"So you really are taking drugs?" Tawni was very concerned. She sat down next to Sonny. "How many are taking?"

"Just enough to fall asleep."

"Every day?"

"Yeah."

"What happened, Sonny?" Tawni asked, trying to get to the bottom of the whole mess.

"I just can't get to sleep anymore," Sonny explained. "I know that I need to sleep. I need to rest, but I just can't."

"For how long?"

"It started at the end of last tour. I was just fried and exhausted during the tour. It was my first major, worldwide tour. Joshua helped me. He gave me something to give me energy and it worked. I was able to do every show and go to every event that I was supposed to. Everything was going great. The album was selling; the tour was a huge success."

"But," Tawni interjected, when Sonny stopped. She knew there was more. Sonny looked to be breaking down. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Tawni hugged Sonny, trying to make it easier for her to tell the story.

"After all the touring and working, there was a break," Sonny continued. "Everything seemed fine at first. But after a couple of months, I would have insomnia about once a week. It gradually became more and more. I didn't think much of until the next tour started up again. The shows were fine, but I could never sleep. Soon, Joshua gave me the Ambien. I've needed them every night just to get some sleep."

The stress had finally gotten to her and Sonny began to cry on Tawni's shoulder.

"Its okay, Sonny," Tawni said, trying to comfort her friend. After a while, Tawni knew she'd have to tell Sonny that Joshua wasn't the kind of person she should be around. But right now, she needed to let Sonny rest. When Sonny had finished crying, Tawni had said goodbye and left Sonny to sleep on the couch.


	4. Pieces of You

Tawni received an advanced copy of _Wrong Turn Into Yesterday_ from the record company. Chad had put her on the list of people to get it. She was excited to hear it. The first single would be playing on the radio today, but Tawni wanted to hear the whole album.

Tawni felt a swelling of pride when she saw the cover. It was just a year ago when Tawni had convinced Chad to rewrite "Where Have All the Good People Gone." They were just starting their romantic relationship. It took a lot to convince of it. Tawni knew it would be a great song, but it hurt Chad thinking about it.

After all, he wrote that song as a duet for him and Sonny, but things took a bad turn when Sonny was on the road and Chad was struggling with his acting career. After their break up, Chad fell apart for a little while.

Nico and Grady had been the first to pull him away from his isolation. They took him out the bar and the clubs. It didn't do much for Chad, but it at least got him out of the house. It turns out he had a lot more in common with Tawni than either of them thought. As a result, their friendship grew into something more.

Tawni put the CD on. The first song she turned on was "Just the Way You Are." She always loved that song and knew that Chad put on the CD for her. That was the surprise he was talking about. She loved that song, thinking that no matter what, she didn't have to change herself to be loved.

For a long time, she did think that. She thought she always had to be pretty. She always had to be funny. She thought that boys didn't want a smart girl and so she acted dumb. When she listened to this song, Tawni knew that there would be someone who loved her as she was.

She loved the way Chad played piano on that song. She thought back to the first time he played it for her. Tawni was feeling down and walked into the piano bar that Chad was working at. It felt like he was singing it to her. Looking back on it, Tawni knew she wanted Sonny's boyfriend and luck had been kind to her. She wouldn't have stolen Chad away. She didn't want to hurt Sonny.

After listening to that, Tawni listened to the rest of the album. It was pretty rocking, she had to admit. Chad had come a long way on guitar. It sounded great. It would be a great album. All the songs were tight and crisp.

Then the last song came on. It was the only other ballad on the album. She listened to the lyrics. It didn't sound that familiar to her. After hearing it, Tawni wanted to cry.

* * *

Chad came back to his house and saw Tawni, sitting alone eating dinner.

"Hey Tawni," Chad said. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," she replied, rather sadly as Chad placed a kiss on her cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"This."

"What do you mean?" Chad asked. "This?" He pointed around the room, trying to figure it out.

"No, this," Tawni pointed back and forth between them.

"What's wrong with us?"

"I hate to do this, but it's over, Chad."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're still in love with Sonny."

"What? No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You put it on your CD."

"I didn't put anything on my CD for Sonny. I put a song on for you."

"I know and that was a conscious decision. You wrote a song for Sonny."

"No, I didn't."

"What's even worse is that you don't even know it?"

"You're not making any sense. I'm in trouble for something I didn't know I did."

"Chad, you put a cover song on your CD because you knew I would want that. You thought with your head. You wrote a song about Sonny and you didn't know that. You acted with your heart. That's how I know you love Sonny."

"I love you. I want to be with you."

"If you look in your heart, you know that's not true. I want your whole heart, not pieces of you. Sonny will always be your number one. I'm not going to be someone's second choice. I deserve to be someone's first and only."

"You're not really leaving, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"That's how you're going to end this?" Chad was completely shocked.

"Just listen to your song, you'll understand."

Tawni got up and gave Chad a kiss on the cheek.

"I will miss you Chad Dylan Cooper. I won't forget the good times we had together."

Tawni started to leave, but Chad grabbed her arm and turned her around. Tawni looked back at Chad. It looked like he could cry.

"Please, don't end it like this."

Hearing Chad talk like that broke Tawni's heart.

"It's for the best, trust me."

Tawni kept up her brave face until she left Chad's house and got into her car. Once in, she immediately began to cry. She didn't want to end it like this either.


	5. Comfortably Numb

Sonny was sitting in her dressing room. She was slumped in chair, just watching a TV. She didn't really know what was on it. Sonny just felt terrible. She didn't want to go out on stage. It was the first time in her life that she hated music. There was knock on the door. Sonny didn't respond.

"Hello?" a man asked. He slowly opened the door and walked in. The man carried a bag with him. He saw Sonny slumped in the chair; it looked like she might cry soon.

"Hey, I hear your feeling down," he said.

"Who told you that?" Sonny asked.

"Joshua," the man said. "He's very concerned about you. He's says you haven't been feeling like yourself."

"I just don't want to do this anymore," Sonny confessed to him, thinking of how things have gone. The restlessness, the insomnia, and she couldn't believe what she had done to Chad. _Have we really grown that far apart_? "I don't like the way I feel."

"I can fix that. I can make you feel just right again." He opened his bag and pulled a needle and vial. There was a clear liquid in the vial. He pushed the needle through and pulled the liquid into the syringe.

"What's that?" Sonny asked.

"Just something to make you feel better," the man replied. He flicked the syringe to get the air to the top and pushed the bubbles out. "Hold out your arm."

Sonny did as she was told, still very uncomfortable with the whole situation. The man tapped on her elbow to find a vein.

"It's just a little pinprick," he told her. He slid the needle into her veins and pushed the plunger. Sonny immediately felt sick. She didn't know why but worms came to mind. She thought she was going to throw up.

After a few moments, the nausea cleared up and Sonny felt somewhat back to normal. Soon, she felt great. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she just enjoyed the rush. The man was talking, but she couldn't understand it. He seemed so far away. A couple of minutes later, Sonny was back in herself.

"Can you stand up?" the man asked. Sonny slowly picked herself out of the chair and stood on very unsteady feet. Her balance came back and soon was more stable.

"That will keep you going through the show," the man told her. The door flew open and Joshua came in.

"Come on," he said, pointing to his watch. "It's time to go." Joshua grabbed Sonny's arm and led her to the stage.

Sonny sang for the crowd in Phoenix. No one noticed anything wrong, except Sonny. The crowd seemed so far away from her. She felt like she was moving in slow motion. Her hands and feet felt all wrong. The cheer of the crowds seemed to come and go.

After the show, in her dressing room, Sonny threw up into a garbage can. Joshua had security in front of the door to prevent anyone from coming in. Joshua was pacing.

"Come on, Sonny," he told her. "We've got more shows to do. There are more fans to see."

Sonny looked up at him, "This is not how I want to be." Another wave of nausea swept over her.

* * *

Chad was sitting at the bar. He wasn't sure which one he was in anymore, but he didn't care. He had steadily drinking since he came in. The bartender asked what he wanted. He told him whiskey. After pouring a shot to him, Chad said to leave the bottle.

The bottle was half empty when Nico, Grady, and their girlfriends walked into the bar.

"Hey, Chad," Nico said, walking over to him. When Nico saw the bottle was half empty he turned to his and Grady's girlfriend. "Could you ladies excuse us for a second? We would like to catch up with Chad for a little bit."

They said okay and settled into a booth and began talking. Nico and Grady stepped up to the bar and sat on each side of Chad.

"What's going on, man?" Grady asked.

"None of your business," Chad retorted.

"Oh, yes it is. When you drank about half of a fifth of whiskey," Nico said. "It becomes our problem then."

"Are you guys always together?" Chad said. "I mean, jeez, from So Random, to Nico and Grady, to now. Do you ever leave each other?"

"We're a package deal," Nico replied. "We're like Shaq and Kobe."

"Jordan and Pippen," Grady said.

"Montana and Rice."

"All right," Chad said, a little too loudly. "Enough with the teammates." Chad sipped some more of his shot.

"What can I get you guys?" the bartender asked.

"We'll have what he's having," Nico said. The bartender pulled out two shot glasses and set them in front of them. Nico poured some whiskey for Grady and himself.

"Salud," Nico said. All three of them took the shot. Nico and Grady made faces and groaned as they downed the liquid. It burned their throat all the way to their stomachs. Chad's slid down easily as he had worked up a resistance over the course of the night. Grady coughed.

"What is that stuff?" Grady asked.

"Whiskey," Chad replied. Nico and Grady poured each other another shot.

"Look, Chad, what's going on?" Grady asked, and then took the shot. "It burns so good."

"Tawni broke up with me," Chad finally admitted, safe to do so by bar protocol, that neither Grady nor Nico would look at him. Everyone kept their faces straight ahead. Chad finished his shot after saying that.

"Why?" Nico asked.

"She said she couldn't be with me because I clearly still loved Sonny," Chad explained. It's not that he wanted to, but the whiskey had loosened his lips and he couldn't stop himself. "I don't know what she's talking about."

"Chad, have you seen yourself when you talk or even think about Sonny?" Nico asked. "You get this goofy smile on your face."

"I do not," Chad argued.

"Yeah you do," Grady said. "In fact, there it is."

"Eyes forward," Chad ordered. "But Sonny's happy with Joshua." Chad said his name with disdain. "So it doesn't really matter."

"Then you've got to win her back," Grady advised.

"How?"

"Look, we've all known Sonny for a long time," Nico said. "If there's one thing she's a sucker for is the grand, sweeping, romantic gesture."

"Really?"

"Remember that time we all fell out of your jet," Grady reminded Chad. "She thought that was so romantic that she forgave you on the spot, even though you didn't trust her."

"Neither did you guys."

"Focus on you, Chad," Nico said.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Nico said.

"Yeah, Mr. Rockstar." Grady agreed.

"Thanks," Chad pulled out his phone. "I've got to get home."

"Whoa, whoa, after all that?" Grady questioned. "I don't think so."

"Don't worry, I'm calling someone."

"Okay. Remember, big gesture. It's guaranteed to work."

"Also, you might want to take some time away. None of those teammates stayed together forever. Enjoy your dates."

Chad walked to the back of the bar. Nico and Grady turned back.

"What did he mean by that?" Grady asked.

"I don't know," Nico answered.

Both turned in their seats.

"Our dates!" Quickly they went back to their girls.


	6. A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Chad dialed a number on his phone. It was to the only person he knew that would get him out of this jam.

"Hello?" Sam answered.

"Hi, Sam, it's Chad. I need you to come pick me up."

"Okay, just tell me where you are and I'll be there." She could hear him slur his words and knew why she needed him.

* * *

Sonny was fed up. After everything that had happened to her, she knew what her problem was. It wasn't the touring, the interviews, the fans, or even Chad. It was Joshua. He didn't care about her at all. All he cared about was making money off of her. Just like all of his other stars.

_How could I be so stupid? All he does is make sure that I can perform. I thought he loved me. What an idiot I was._

Sonny pulled out her cell phone and called her manager.

"Sonny, it's good to hear from you," he said. "How are things going with Joshua?"

"Terrible," Sonny replied. "I want him out."

"What?"

"I'm just doing this as a favor to you," Sonny explained. "I'm giving you a heads up. Joshua is fired."

Sonny hung up the phone. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Sonny said.

Joshua entered. He saw the room was empty.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone," Joshua said.

"I was. I was talking to my manager. I made a decision and was letting him know about it."

"What decision was that?"

"You're fired."

"What?" Joshua was shocked. "You're firing me?"

"Exactly."

"But I made you. The tours, the appearances. Who do you think made this happen? I've made everyone of my girls a star, including you."

"All you did was push and push and push. You never gave me a break. You never listened to me."

"What do you mean I never listened to you? You wanted to be a star. I made you a star."

"You didn't want me to be a star. You just wanted to make more money off of me. That's why there was always a tour. Once one would stop, another would start. There were no breaks. Whatever problem I had, there was a pill for that. Tired? This will keep you awake. Can't sleep? Here's a sleeping pill. Feel lousy? Here's an injection. You won't feel anything after that. Now, you want an album."

"You have to stay fresh."

"I want to use my own songs. I haven't had a chance to write any and somehow people are expecting my new album to come out soon. It won't be."

"People are going to be disappointed."

"The only person I'm disappointed in is you. You used me. I don't care about other people right now. I'm going to take care of myself. So just leave."

"You'll never make it on your own."

"I made it on my own. I didn't need you to get on So Random, I didn't need you for my first album, and I don't need you now.

"You'll regret this," Joshua said, storming out and slamming the door. For the first time in a long while, there was a genuine smile on Sonny's lips.

* * *

Chad, arm over her shoulder, was helped into his house by Sam. Somehow, they made in and Chad rested on the armrest of his couch.

"What were you thinking, Chad?" Sam asked.

"My girlfriend dumped me," he explained. "She said I couldn't give her all of my heart."

Sam moved closer to Chad.

"Couldn't give her all of your heart?"

"I know, I don't get it either. I would have done anything for her."

"There are better ways to handle this than getting drunk. Especially for you. Do you know what the media would do if they found out? If you drove yourself home? Imagine if you hurt someone."

"I guess I hadn't thought about that."

"I guess not."

Sam kissed Chad.

"What was that?"

"There are other ways to forget your little, dumb, stick of a girlfriend," Sam told him. She kissed him again and began to rub her hands over his chest. "Wow, very firm."

"I don't think we should do this."

Sam ran her hand up Chad's leg and felt his erection.

"Other parts of you think we should. Now, just relax and don't fight this." She pushed Chad over the armrest and he landed on the couch. Chad was too drunk to put up much resistance to Sam. Sam lifted his shirt and licked his abs.

"I love young guys," she said. "You just take such good care of yourself." She pulled Chad's shirt over his head so she could like more of his chest. She licked each nipple and Chad moaned a little.

"You like that?" Sam asked teasingly. "I know something else you'd like."

Sam stood up and unbuckled Chad's pants. She pulled them off and threw them away. "Much better, Chad."

"You never call me, Chad," he said.

"I think we're a little passed me calling you C.D.," Sam said, pulling his dick out of his underwear. Sam licked his shaft before taking him inside of her mouth. Chad groaned as Sam sucked him. Sam would pull back to concentrate on the head, using her hand to stroke him.

"Oh, Sam," Chad moaned. He didn't really know what was happening, but it felt great. Sam's tongue swirled and lapped over his dick. After a few more licks and strokes, Sam stood up. She lifted up her dress and took her panties off.

"Just sit up and relax now, Chad," Sam instructed. Chad listened and Sam sat right on Chad, lowering her pussy over his dick. They both moaned as it went inside of her.

"Oh, Chad," Sam moaned. "I didn't know it would feel this good." Sam rode Chad, moving up and down, taking full control of the rhythm. Sam and Chad were both groaning with pleasure. Sam began kissing Chad again and using her hand to rub her clit.

"You don't have a condom on so you've got to tell me when you're close, Chad," Sam warned. "Okay?"

"Okay."

Sam led the way, moving up and down, bringing herself to orgasm. Chad couldn't clear his head to think of anything, except to warn Sam that he was about to cum.

Sam quickly got off of Chad and pulled his dick into her mouth. When Chad exploded into her, Sam swallowed every drop of him.

"Oh Sam," Chad didn't know what to say. "I love you." They were only words he could think of.

"I love you too, Chad." Sam replied. "Let's get you up to bed so you sleep it off."


	7. Sleeping Alone

_What did I do last night?_ Chad woke up, his head pounding. He didn't remember coming home. The last thing he remembered was talking to Nico and Grady. He wasn't sure what they were talking about. He guessed they were trying to cheer him up, but he wasn't sure.

He sat up in bed and immediately ran to the bathroom. Chad ended up on the floor, after puking his guts out. _Thank you, toilet bowl. Thank you for being cool on the side_. He lay there for several minutes, making sure he was done throwing up. When he felt sure, he stood up, unevenly.

Chad looked at himself in the mirror. _I look like hell_. His hair was all over the place. His eyes were dry and bloodshot. His lips looked redder than usual. He wiped his mouth and saw that his hand had a red mark on it.

Chad rubbed the red mark and saw it disappear. He rubbed his mouth and saw the redness go away as well. He looked at his arms and didn't see anything. Taking off his T-shirt, Chad saw more smears on him. He ran his finger over a mark and put it into his mouth. _Oh no_. Chad knew it was lipstick, it tasted like strawberries. Chad lowered his pajamas and saw more of it on his dick. _What have I done?_

_

* * *

_

Sonny was laying her in her bed. She hadn't slept alone that often and this was the first time since she broke up with and fired Joshua. She had done well without him. Her show was a success and she really connected with the audience.

But she missed his warmth. She missed his touches. She missed his kisses. Sonny wasn't going back to him, but she felt so alone now. _I'm going back to Wisconsin, after the tour._ Sonny picked up the phone and placed a call.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom, it's Sonny."

"Hi, Sonny. How are you?" her mom asked. "I haven't heard from you in so long."

"I know, I'm sorry," Sonny tried to explain. "Things have been really hectic. I should have called sooner, but I just couldn't."

"That's okay, you're calling now. How is everything?"

"Okay, the tour is going well."

"How is Joshua?"

"We broke up."

"I'm so sorry. He seemed like such a nice guy."

"Yeah, that was kind of the problem. He only seemed like a nice guy."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Sonny thought about that. Yes was the answer, but could she really tell her mom that. Could she really tell her mom that Joshua had her on uppers, downers, and who knows what else? No. Sonny couldn't do that.

"No, but like I said, he wasn't a nice guy. He had a control problem and I wasn't going to have him tell me what to do all the time."

"I'm proud of you, Sonny. So many times you see a young woman in a bad relationship because they think that's all there is. I'm glad you're looking out for that. You've got a good head on your shoulders."

"Thanks, Mom," Sonny said, half heartedly. She knew that for a while she didn't have a good head on her shoulders. But Sonny came through in the end.

"Here I am asking all the questions. You obviously had something to say. What was it Sonny?"

"I was wondering if I could come visit you in Wisconsin after the tour is over."

"That would be great. I haven't seen you in so long. It would be absolutely perfect. We can really catch up and I can so you how much the place has changed."

"Middleton's changed?"

"Not really. The movie theatre got a big up grade though. We'll have to check it out. Any sexy stars that you want to see?"

"Mom!" Sonny was shocked to hear her mother speak about another man being sexy.

"Oh come on, you're twenty-one now. I know you think men are sexy."

"We'll see what's out."

"Great."

"I've got to go, mom. I need to rest for the next show."

"How mature! I understand. I'll talk to you later."

"I've missed talking to you, mom."

"I've missed talking to you, too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Sonny hung up the phone and tried to get some sleep. She pulled the covers over her head, but still felt cold with no one there.

* * *

Chad's cell phone began to ring and he looked to see who it was. Samantha Ryan was the name showing.

"Hello?" Chad said.

"Hi, Chad. It's Sam."

"Sam? You never let me call you that. And you never call me Chad."

"I thought we went over this last night, when I drove you home."

And then all the memories flooded back to Chad. The drinking, the advice from Nico and Grady, calling Sam, and the sex.

"Look, Samantha, about last night. That was a mistake."

"I don't think it was. It was wonderful."

"No, that can't happen again."

"I don't understand," Sam said, a little worried.

"There can be no us, no relationship."

"But you said you loved me."

"I was drunk. You took advantage of me. Let's go back to the way things were and forget everything that happened."

"I can't believe you, Chad," Sam was on the verge of crying. "I thought you were different than the other stars. You just like everyone else."

"Don't pin this on me. You know exactly what you did."

"If you do this, I will guarantee that your works will get terrible reviews. I will make it my life's work to destroy you. You wouldn't burn that bridge, would you?"

"Flame on," Chad replied, hanging up the phone. He didn't have time to worry about that. He thought about what Nico had said. He needed a grand romantic gesture. He called the only person he thought could help him.

"Hello, Tawni," Chad said into the phone. "I need some help. Do you know when Sonny will be back in L.A.?"


	8. Thousand Mile Wish

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who read the story. A special thanks to the reviewers. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Also, "Somewhere Out There" is written by Our Lady Peace.

Sonny was finally starting to feel like her old self again. The drugs she had been one had worked their way out of her system. Her sleep schedule was going back to normal. She even felt inspired to write songs again.

Sonny had reconnected with her old friends that she had lost contact with. She liked being back in Wisconsin. There wasn't paparazzi that Los Angeles had. She wasn't looking over her shoulder or trying to hide herself.

At first, everyone bombarded her. It wasn't often that Middleton, Wisconsin had someone big come to it. It's true, they were close to Madison and the Badgers football was always a big deal. The Brewers weren't too far away in Milwaukee. Still, this was a big deal.

But after a few days, they just let her be. She wasn't Sonny Monroe, famous Hollywood celebrity. She was Sonny Monroe, the girl they went to school with. The girl they had grown up with. It felt good for Sonny to be back and just forget the past four years. She could start from scratch again.

Sonny even attended the cheese canon ceremony at her old high school and finally turned in the book report for _A Raisin in the Sun_. She met up her best friend, Lucy Jensen, and they talked about the old days.

"So are you staying here in Middleton?" Lucy asked as the night went on.

"No, I'm going back to Hollywood," Sonny replied. "Everyone there might think that I'm a loser or a quitter, but I'm going to prove them wrong. Sonny Monroe does not give up that easily."

"That's the spirit," Lucy said. "Just like the old days. You told everyone you would make and then you ended up on TV."

"Yeah," Sonny said. "Only this time, I'm doing it my way."

* * *

Chad had flown out to Wisconsin to surprise Sonny. He had gotten all the information he needed from Tawni. He had found Sonny's mom's house. He walked towards the door, with roses and a big cheese heart. Chad knocked on the door.

"Hello, Miss Monroe," he said when Sonny's mom answered. "Is Sonny home?"

"No, she isn't Chad," she replied, a little surprised. "She decided to head back earlier and got a flight yesterday."

Chad's heart sunk when he heard the news. His great romantic plan was ruined.

"Oh," was all he could manage to say.

"I'm sorry, Chad."

"It's okay; I'll see her back in Hollywood."

Chad drove back to his hotel room extremely disappointed, but was also thinking of a new plan. He had it all figured out by the time he got back to his hotel room. He called up Tawni and told her the plan.

"Make sure she hears it," Chad told her.

* * *

Sonny was back at her apartment, watching some TV. Her cell phone buzzed and she looked to see it was a text from Tawni.

_Turn on your radio to 97.1_

Sonny went to the kitchen and turned on the radio. A song was just ending.

"Alright," the DJ said. "Next is a request from Chad. He's sending it out to a special lady he calls his Short Stack. It's the newest from C.D. Cooper. Here's 'Somewhere Out There.'"

Last time I talked to you  
You were lonely and out of place  
You were looking down on me  
Lost out in space

Laid underneath the stars  
Strung out and feeling brave  
Watch the red orange glow  
Watch it float away

Down here in the atmosphere  
Garbage and city lights  
We're gonna save you're tired soul  
You're gonna save our lives

I turned on the radio  
To find you in satellite  
I'm waiting for the sky to fall  
I'm waiting for a sign

And all we are  
Is all so far

You're falling back to me  
The star that I can see  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there  
You're falling out of reach  
Defying gravity  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there

Hope you remember me  
When you're homesick and need a change  
I miss you're purple hair  
I miss the way you taste  
I know you'll come back some day  
On a bed of nails I wait  
I'm praying that you don't burn out  
Or fade away

And all we are  
Is all so far

You're falling back to me  
The star that I can see  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there  
You're falling out of reach  
Defying gravity  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there

You're falling back to me  
The star that I can see  
I know you're out there

You're falling out of reach  
Defying gravity  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there

You're falling back to me  
The star that I can see  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there  
You're falling out of reach  
Defying gravity  
I know you're out there  
Somewhere out there

You're falling back to me  
I know, I know

You're falling out of reach  
I know

The song was beautiful and Sonny didn't know what to do. She had just gotten out of a bad relationship. She wasn't sure if she was ready. Could she take a chance on Chad? Sonny walked out onto the balcony and stared at the night sky. She wasn't ready to get back together with anyone and didn't want Chad catch her on the rebound.

_Oh please wait for me Chad_. Sonny turned and walked back inside. A single star in the night sky twinkled.

The End


End file.
